Eye-shield.



F. H. REXTREW.

EYE SHIELD. APPLICATION FILED MAY 8.1914.

1,188,679. Patented Juil@ 27,1916.

FRANK IIOWABD .'B'EXTREW',

OF HAMMOND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO ROY' E. GREEN, l

F WHITING, INDIANA. i

EYE-SHIELD.

To all whom may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANK HOWARD REX- TREW, a citizen of the United States, re-

siding in the city of Hammond, county of Lake, and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Eye-Shields, of which the following 1s a specification.

' My invention relates to shields adapted to v protect the eyes of the wearer from inclement elements such as Wind, cold and dust.

The invention has for its principal objects the provision of an eye shield which is easy and quick of application, certainty .of retention in position for use, durable .and effective in service, and comfortable to the wearer thereof. A particular object is the provision of a shield which will be free from objectionable breakage due tofolding, and atvthe same time to provide a shield which may be folded compactly so asto occupy small space in the wearers pocket. Further objects are to provide a shield which is neat in appearance and in some forms substantially invisible, and which will automatically conform to the ordinary configuration ofthe human face about the eyes.

An important specific object is the provision of holding means for such a shield which themselves occupy small space and are always ready for application, requ1r1ng no adjustment, and which effectively secure the shield upon the face rmly and yet comfortably.

Still other objects will appear hereinafter. In the accompanying drawings, which forma part of this specification, I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of these improvements and means for forming the shield element.

In Figure 1 the shield is shownas applied and end sections of the shield proper before being joined together; Fig. 4 is a perspective of a, forming device or templet with.

a shield in process of formation therein; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of one end of the templet and shield shown in Fig. 4, as on the line 5-5 thereof. i

The shield proper is formed preferably of thin and flexible material. For the purpose of this description this material may be called transparent or substantially trans-- l Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 8, 1914. Serial No. 837,118.

sitioned Patented June 27, 1916.

parent, which is intended to denote broadly the property of permitting objects tol be vlewed therethrough. The material preferably employed by me is what is known as articlal lvory, A,celluloid, pyrolin, etc., and

is madewith `various tints or colors, such as amber and green, and is also furnished clear, that 1s, untinted. The shield proper comprlses preferably a substantially rectangular lntermediate or middle section 10 having a length sultable to the ordinary width of the face across theeyes', and two end sections 11,

one thereof being secured at each end of the mlddle sectlon 10. A recess or opening 12 is provided in one side Aof the section'lO intermedlate its ends toaccommodate the nose of the wearer, thereby permitting the section 'zol 10 to fit suitably upon the face about the nose and under the eyes.

The ends of the section 10 are preferably cut stralght across, that is, substantially at right angles with the sides, and theend sections 11 are cut preferably so that substantially the apex of'a triangle A( as A, 14, B Fig. 3) is formed by that portion `thereof which is adaptedto overlap and be secured to the end of themiddle section. lItwill be noted that the end or apex portion- 14 of the end section is slightly rounded which is advantageous in preserving a rounded lcontour to Fig. 3)' is preferably rounded as shown,

adapting the same to lit nicely at the side of the face\around the eyes.- Whatever shape be selected for the sections, the adjoining edge portions of the end and middle sections should be so formed that when vthe shield is in position on a wearers face, the shieldis concavo-convex at the two. end portions l thereof.- f r improved eye` shield the formen-or templet 15 may suitably be4 em- In making my ployed, consisting of a piece of light sheet metal somewhat `dished and boat-shapedas. shown in Fig. 5 or given any other suitable-f shape as may be desired. The middle section 10 of the shield is preferablyjust long enough to fit between the substantially right-angularly positioned end walls 15 of the tem' plet. The middle section 10 being thus poin the templet, a small quantity of 85 Athe front of the shield at the ends'thereof" y f when in use and in forming a tight jointtransparent cement C is preferably applied at the corner, portions 10a of the section 10, whereupon an end section 11 is applied with the apex 14 to the end of the section 10 as end section may be similarly applied.

Heretofore in somewhat similar eye shades provision has been made for maintaining the main body portion away from the wearers eyes by notching the ends of the body portion and securing together thel portions of the device adjacent to the` notch in over` lapped relation, thus causing a raised portion in the body portion having its apex at the end of the notch. Devices -of this kind are folded so as suitably to be carried in a pocket, one end being first folded down, the device being then folded in the middle, the other end portion then being bent down around the first mentioned end portion. Such bending in hitherto suggested devices causes'- the material to break beginning at the apex or end of the notch, and because of the stiffness of the end portions, owing to the notch arrangement, it is not possible to fold the parts closely together wlthout at once ruining`the structure. In the presentdevice l there is a neat and Bti -mally be the breaking line.

these objections are overcome, for there is no breakingstrain whatever upon the apex, as 16, Fig. 2, when the end section is folded down and from this apex to the sides there is a double thickness of the material, greatly strengthening the device at what would nor- Furthermore, owing to vthe fact that the apex portion 14 is loose with respect to the middle section 10 this portion 14 moves thereupon in folding and assumes a more flat or parallel relation thereto. Thus the portion which would normally break is already cut` through, and yet when the device is 1n osition for use tight jomt at the corner or apex 16.

'It is a property of the device that when the -same is secured upon the face in the manner shown in Fig. 1 the upper, lower and end edges conform to the shape ofthe wearers face about theeyes within relatively Awide limits.

Should it beV desired to vary the shape of any portion, as for instance the part accommodating the nose, the same may readily be done with a pair of scissors or a knife.,

For purposes of ventilation I preferably punch a plurality of holes 17 in each end section 11, and in this connection it is pointed out that by reason of the substantially right-angular relation of the end and middle sections a strong current of air within the shield when in use is avoided, the

mesme -band frequently requires adjustment and at best does not hold the shield against u and down movement on the face, particularl) the upward movement as when struck y a heavy current of air, nortightly or comfortably thereon. To overcome theseobjections I have provided loops 20, secured to the end sections 1l, formed of light elastic fabric or cord, and adapted. to pass around the wearers' ears. j Such elastic loops, having considerable stretching properties, are found suitable in practically all instances of use and require no adjustment, and as theyfdraw upon the shield simultaneouslyin several directions, the shield is held upon the face securely and comfortably and without danger of displacement by the wind or other agency hitherto found objectionable in the direction specified. A particular advantage of this provision is found when the usual eye glasses or spectacles are worn between the eyes and the shield.

Various changes may bev made in the construction shown and described, as in varying the angles on which both the middle and the end sections are cut, means for holding the device upon the face, in the materials employed, etc., all within the spiritof the invention herein set forth. Reference should be had, therefore, to the appended claims to determine its scope, and all such changes` when the device is in proper position for lill@ use upon the face, the respective lines of I folding passing between contiguous edge portions of saidvend and middle sections.

2. An eye shield of thin and flexible substantially transparent material and having a shape which substantially conforms to the wearers face about the eyes, said shield comprising a middle section and two separate and independent end sections, said end and` midof sai face. J

3. An eye shield comprising a middle section of liiexible substantially transparentv material and two end sections, saidend and middle sections overlapping at corner porticns thereof respectively and secured together at the overlapped portions, said end sections respectively being free of said middle section at a place substantially medial of the places where respectively secured together, said end sections forming end walls adapted to maintain said middle section away from the wearers eyes when in use and be foldable upon said middle section when not in use, the foldinglines passing through said places where the middle and end sections are free of l,each other, and means for holding said shield upon the face of a wearer. Y

4. An eye shield comprising a middle section of thin and flexible material through which the wearer thereof can see, said middle section having a nose opening or recess in a side thereof, a section of thinand flexible material secured to said middle section at each end thereof, said middle section and said end sections respectively being so formed at the joined .portions thereof respectively tlat when the end sections and the' middle section are secured together with a small portion of each overlapping the other, the middle section is bowed outwardly and the end sections are at such an angle tok the middle section that an interior pocket is formed at each end of said middle section, said end sections being substantially free of said middle section at the apex or angle of the pockets respectively, said end sectionsl being adapted to fold upon said middle section with the folding lines passing through the angle or apex of said pockets, and means for holding the shield on the face of the wearer.

5. In an eye shield, the combination of a shield proper and means for securing the same upon the face of a wearer for use, said means comprising a pair y*of flexible elastic loops, one thereof being secured at each end of said shield proper, said loops being adapted-to pass around the ears respectively of the wearer. Y l

6. An eye shield comprising a middle section of thin and flexible material through which the wearer may see, and separate and independent end sections of thin and liexible material suitably attached to said middle section and foldable thereupon, the adjoining edge portions of said end and middle sections respectively being so formed that when the shield is in normal use on a wearers face the shield is concave-convex at the two end portions thereof, and said middle section is maintained away from the eyes of the wearer.

FRANK HOWARD REXTREW.

Witnesses:

fM. M. KmEsANn, T. D. BUTLER. 

